You may want to check out a book on menstruation written specifically for children or share it with your boys.
For example, a mother might say to her young son, “Every woman has a uterus, which is where babies grow until they are ready to come out. Every month, her body gets ready to have another baby and the lining of uterus gets really thick so that it can catch an egg and hold on to it. If it’s time to have a baby, the baby will grow inside the uterus. " If he is having trouble understanding the concept, you might say the uterus is like a balloon inside a woman’s tummy. By age 5, children should be comfortable with the official names of reproductive organs. [2] X Research source
The mother could continue with something like, “If a woman doesn’t want to have another baby, this extra strong lining in the uterus goes away because she doesn’t need it. That lining leaves her body as blood and goes out through her vagina. ”
You can say, “Women choose how they want to collect the blood that came from the uterus and out the vagina. There are lots of ways to do this. Women do this to keep their clothes clean. ” If the boy is older, you can talk about each product and what it does.
Boys may think that the bleeding may be painful, like from a cut. Assure them that the bleeding does not hurt and is not painful. You can explain that some women experience cramps, which are muscle cramps in the body, but the pain does not come from bleeding. When talking about menstruation, communicate that menstruation is a healthy and normal part of growing up for girls. Just like boys develop facial hair and their voices change, girls start to physically change, too. Say, “Before her blood comes for the first time, a girl does not have access to her power to create a baby. When it does come, it signals her that her body is ready to have a baby. It’s exciting to have this ability. Now, whether she is ready for a baby is something else!”
You can say, “Women and girls have different body parts than boys. This is because women can grow babies in their bodies and men cannot. These are the things that women have that men don’t. ”
Keep your answers simple. If explaining the word period, say, “A period is something at the end of a sentence. But it can also mean the time each month when a woman’s body cleans itself from the inside out. It’s a word that sums up a process that happens in a woman’s body. ”
Say, “If you notice a girl has her period or has blood on her clothes, it’s important to treat her with respect. It’s not okay to tease her or make fun of her. Don’t say anything hurtful to her or anyone else. Remember that it’s normal to have a period. ” Make sure they know that menstruation is totally normal and healthy.
Let boys know that they can come to you with questions about anything to both establish trust in you and guide their understanding of development in a positive way.
If a boy asks, “What is that?” in reference to a menstrual product, respond with the name of the object (tampon, sanitary pad, menstrual cup, etc). You may follow up your response with, “This is something women use to keep their bodies clean. ” As boys mature, they may ask progressively more in-depth questions about the process of menstruation or how babies are made. Use your judgment when giving details so you don’t overwhelm them with information they didn’t want or need.
If the question caught you off guard or if your answer was not helpful, consider doing a follow-up response later that night.
Don’t overcomplicate your answers. Speak simply and avoid using complicated metaphors, especially with young children (such as “Aunt Flo” or “time of the month”). Give as much information as it should satisfy his curiosity. Don’t over-explain by giving too much information before he asks.
